


“What are you scared about, Anders?”

by PadBlack



Category: Being Human (UK), The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: Fluffy Ending, M/M, Snakes, no real major character death, snakebite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-13 20:04:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4535490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PadBlack/pseuds/PadBlack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hey – what's this?”<br/>“It was here when I walked in this morning. I assumed it was yours.”<br/>“No, it's not mine. What's in it?”<br/>“I haven't touched it and I am not psychic. Open it.”<br/>“No, you open it.”<br/>“It's on your desk. You open it.”<br/>„As your boss, I order you to open it.“<br/>„What are you scared about, Anders?“<br/>„Snakes in my flat, dying alone, unexpected briefcases... please.“</p>
<p>In TAJ Season 3 - Like the berserkers of old - there was this unexpected briefcase on Anders' desk and he told Dawn in one breath his greatest fears. - What if they come true?</p>
<p>Caution: this story contains snakes and what looks like a major character death - but it isn't. Really!</p>
            </blockquote>





	“What are you scared about, Anders?”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt to break my writer's block. I remembered out of the blue Anders' fears and this is the result - but this time I didn't kill him - for real ;)
> 
> The huge thanks for the beta goes as usual to the lovely Kelly. The remaining mistakes are my own :)

Anders' head felt like someone was using it as an anvil. He sighed deeply when he entered his flat after a too long day at the office. His new clients were demanding and even Bragi had a hard time to satisfy their wishes.

 

The blond man rubbed his forehead after he finally shut the apartment door behind him.

 

“John? I'm home.”

 

No answer.

 

Ah – yes, Mitchell has changed his shift. He was covering for a colleague with an urgent family matter, so it was only him and his fish.

 

Anders smiled tired but fondly at his pets. As usual his first steps took him to the tank to greet the little orange fellows, sprinkle some flakes into the water, and watch them swim. It has always a calming effect on him.

 

After a few minutes the blond Kiwi turned around to find some food for himself when his gaze fell on an odd item.

 

Anders stopped dead.

 

A black briefcase was lying on the kitchen counter – an unfamiliar black briefcase.

 

A memory flashed through his mind. Anders remembered another black briefcase that has lain on his desk in the office one day. He had forced Dawn to open it and to his astonishment it has been full of money – money from Colin to bribe him into becoming his PR-agent for his mayoral campaign.

 

Anders stared at the briefcase.

 

Where did it come from?

 

Had Mitchell left it? No, this thought was unlikely. Why would he even have one? And if it has something to do with Mitchell there would have been a note.

 

So, who left it?

 

As Anders didn't notice any traces of a forced entry someone with a key must have left it. But who was it and what might be inside?

 

Money?

 

Compromising photos?

 

Dirty socks?

 

Many questions whirled around Anders' mind.

 

He was curious about the mysterious briefcase, but like he once had told Dawn, he was afraid of unexpected briefcases – as silly as it sounded.

 

But this time no one was with Anders. This time he couldn't order someone else to open it. He could wait for Mitchell's return, of course, but that would probably be early in the morning after a long and tiring shift and he could just imagine what the Irishman would have to say if he asked him to open a stupid briefcase.

 

In the end Anders’ curiosity won over the nervous little twinge inside his guts. He took a step forward and another, laid his hands on the metal locks, and waited.

 

Did he hear a sound? No, there was nothing.

 

Anders' fingers trembled slightly when he pushed the clasps with his thumps aside and the fastenings snapped open.

 

Slowly the blond man lifted the briefcase's cover – and froze in horror.

 

Inside was a winding mass of sleek and shiny black bodies.

 

Snakes... in New Zealand... inside his apartment... Anders gasped.

 

“Ahg-” His voice stuck in his throat. Wide-eyed, the blond stared at this nightmare scenario. He swallowed hard.

 

Careful – he must be very careful not to disturb the snakes. He shouldn't make quick movements.

Sweat trickled from his forehead. He suppressed the urge to wipe it off. Slowly, very slowly Anders lowered the cover to close the briefcase and lock the menace inside again. But suddenly a small black head appeared right above its edge. If Anders would push it down the snake's head would be caught between and probably die – or it would just get angry and bite him.

 

But before Anders could act, tiny black eyes like pinheads caught his gaze. Anders would have sworn that the snake was hypnotising him. He couldn't look away. The amphibian was hissing softly while its minuscule split tongue quivered.

 

Then the next second, the small head darted forward and the blond man felt a piercing pain in his right hand. In shock he dropped the cover and the briefcase was shut. The snake must have pulled itself back inside after the bite. Anders' heavily trembling hands closed the locks automatically before he could stumble backwards.

 

Anders stared disbelievingly at the tiny dots on his hand. They were barely visible, just like pinpricks with only the smallest droplets of blood showing.

 

The blond clutched his wrist with his uninjured hand.

 

Did a snake really just bitehim?

 

It was ridiculous – A briefcase full of snakes here in Auckland, inside his apartment?

 

There were no poisonous snakes in all fuckin' New Zealand.

 

It wasn't possible.

 

But... Who did this to him? And why?

 

Then Anders tripped. His right knee just gave out. He instinctively stretched out his arms to absorb his fall. His hands and feet prickled, his skin felt like it was on fire, his vision started to blur. Anders was lying on the floor of his flat, twitching uncontrollably, his eyes were wide open but he couldn't see anything. He had foam at his mouth and was gasping for air.

 

The last thought that crossed the blond's mind before everything turned black was, “Mitchell…”

 

-x-

 

Anders' head felt like someone was using it as an anvil. He groaned with pain. He was dead. Wasn't death supposed to be painless? Or had he landed in hell?

 

“Anders?”

 

A familiar voice.

 

Anders smiled weakly, his eyes still closed. So he wasn't all alone in death even if he had died all alone in his flat. Funny how all his greatest fears had become real in just one go and killed him.

 

“Anders, wake up. Come on, baby, please open your eyes and look at me.”

 

“M-Mitchell?” The blond's voice was hoarse. He blinked tiredly while he tried to focus his gaze on the brunet man. His mind was still clinging to what just happened, or what he thought had happened. Anders' throat felt sore and dry. “Am I not dead?” the blond whispered thunderstruck.

 

“No, you egg, you're alive and if you'll take your medicine you'll soon be up and about again.”

 

“B-but the briefcase, the- the s-snakes- I-I thought-”

 

“What briefcase?” Mitchell asked confused. “There is none. Dawn told me you even left yours at the office.”

 

“D-don't open it. It-it's full of snakes. One bit me-”

 

“Sssshhhh, it's okay, baby, I'm here. I've got you. No one will harm you – and there are actually no snakes in New Zealand,” the vampire stroked the blond's forehead soothingly. “It was a dream, a nightmare. You're feverish. I told you to stay at home today but as always you didn't listen. I've found you unconscious on the floor in front of the fish tank. You scared the shit out of me – and your fish, too. Don't you dare do that ever again,” Mitchell scolded softly.

 

Anders' lips curled into a weak smile. Then the Irishman lifted his partner's head carefully and pressed a glass of cool water against his lips. The blond drank obediently.

 

“That's my god,” Mitchell praised and gave his lover a chaste kiss on the forehead after Anders had emptied the drink.

 

“Will you stay with me?” the blond pleaded with tired eyes. His hand fumbled from under the blanket for the vampire's pleasantly cool fingers.

 

“Of course, my love,” Mitchell pressed reassuringly Anders' too hot hand and smiled fondly at him.

 

Anders heaved a sigh and closed his eyes, not letting go of the vampire's hand. The blond man snuggled deeper into his pillow and duvet and was fast asleep again – this time without any frightening nightmares.

**Author's Note:**

> If you wonder about Anders' too realistic dream I know from my own experience that when I have a fever I dream the most unusual but, what feels like, realistic things.
> 
> I just checked and it says that there are really no snakes in New Zealand. I made up all about the snakes and the effect of the bite. I'm sure there are snakes that kill this fast but as it was just a dream it's not important for the story :)
> 
> Thanks for reading - I'd love to know, what you think, so comments/kudos/criticism are always welcome :)


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